Noting that there is a need for a mechanism or metric to measure popularity, the Union’s minister of information and broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar, said on Wednesday that the current TRP-oriented TV or program rating point system needs a rethinking.
TRP is a tool that is used to collect data on the popularity of programs through a device connected to televisions in the homes of a few thousand viewers to measure impressions.
The minister said that, following media reports in the last two weeks, it is clear that “the avoidable PRT rating has to be stopped or improved.”
Speaking at an event organized by the RSS Panchajanya newsletter, Javadekar said that TRP cannot be an excuse for provocative programs on television and that is not journalism.
“Because we believe in self-regulation, I urge media companies to find a way to regulate their content. The government has faith in the media and in freedom of the press, but the media should find a way to ensure how their freedom is guaranteed, ”he said.
Referring to concerns about media practices, he said that before the letter P stood for press, then came paid news and then fake news and now there is TRP journalism. “There must be responsible journalism and that responsibility has to come from within,” he said.
He referred to the Press Council of India, a quasi-judicial body, which sets regulation for print media, and said that some TV channels have formed an organization for self-regulation. But how effective is it? Those who are not part of it do not listen to it. What must be done to unite everyone ”, said the minister, highlighting the need for self-regulation.
While the PCI has recommended the creation of a media council that will have jurisdiction over television and digital media platforms, the television industry has largely opposed this, opting for a self-regulatory body such as the National Association of Broadcasters.
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